


Masterpieces of Nature

by Magi_Silverwolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Were-Creatures, children with special needs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 04:31:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12291306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magi_Silverwolf/pseuds/Magi_Silverwolf
Summary: Children do not always understand, but they are still important.





	Masterpieces of Nature

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer** : I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.  
>  **Warnings** : This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers. This story mentions the death of character in childbirth.
> 
>  **Author’s Note** : Teddy’s reaction in this may seem off to lot of people. I get that accusation a lot when I write kids, especially from the kid’s PoV. I write kids based on my experience, and I am aware that my experience is, let’s say, atypical. That is an apt description, both of myself as a child and of my own children, due to the fact that the differences primarily stem from our atypical neurologies. Teddy is being based upon the behavior and reactions of my oldest, who is completely unbothered by dead bodies, fascinated by blood & gore, and slow to process loss. Slid into this reaction is my headcanon that Teddy inherited certain traits due to Remus’ lycanthropy. He does not transform, but it does affect certain things. His family recognizes this and works with him as necessary, just like any family of a child with different needs would.  
> Similarly, certain actions may seem off, and due to different limitations, I cannot explain this in the fic. Ginny died before actually giving birth to James, which gives his scent a minor imprint of her death. Because Teddy’s lupine traits are a known thing to his family, Harry already knew what intervention would be needed to prevent Teddy’s instincts from rejecting James. Being good at compartmentalizing (as we see him doing repeatedly in the books), Harry was focusing on what needed to be done immediately rather than breaking down in grief. It’s not that he doesn’t care that his wife just died; it’s that he puts others’ needs before his own (another thing we see him doing repeatedly in the books).
> 
>  **Author’s Note (Words of Interest)** : _Nonna_ is yet another variation of “grandmother” that exists. In this, it’s what Teddy calls Andromeda. _Loup pygmée_ is French and means “little wolf”. _Pygmée_ was chosen because of its connotation of tininess.

-= LP =-

The Masterpieces of Nature

-= LP =-

“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” – George Santayana

-= LP =-

 

Teddy didn’t like the hospital. It smelled funky, like bad potions and sadness. The chairs were hard and not comfy. The grownups around him, mostly Ginny’s family, didn’t seem to be helping any because they all smelled scared. Victoire had offered to share her coloring stuff, but she had the markers that smelled wrong, which just added to the bad smells. He restlessly paced around the waiting room. Harry had said he was going to be allowed to help with the new baby, that James was _his_ baby brother, so Teddy should be allowed to help, not forced to wait here.

 

“Maybe I should take the kids home,” Aunt Fleur said. Teddy growled loudly. He wasn’t leaving Harry! Most of the grownups looked like they were going to start scolding but Aunt Fleur just looked amused by the reminder of the wolf he had inside him. “Or perhaps not, if the _loup pygmée_ feels so strongly.”

 

“Not _little_ ,” Teddy protested, making everyone chuckle. He growled again when she pulled him into her lap as he passed her. The grumpy feeling faded as she rubbed her nose against his cheek and over his jaw. He nuzzled into her neck, letting her scent chase away the bad smells surrounding him. He heard Aunt Fleur talking to the other Weasleys and Nonna, but since she made no move to leave, Teddy let himself relax against her. She wasn’t as comforting as Harry, but she didn’t mind when he rubbed his cheek against her like a lot of the family did.

 

“Harry?” Nonna asked, sounding more worried than Teddy had ever heard her. He jerked out of Fleur’s lap and raced towards his godfather. Harry crouched down to catch him and didn’t seem upset about what Nonna would call his ‘uncouth behavior’. Harry’s arms only tightened when Teddy pressed his nose into his neck like he had just been doing to Aunt Fleur. Harry smelled both sad and happy, which was weird, but everything was weird and no one was explaining anything, so maybe it was still safe. “Harry, what’s wrong?”

 

“Ginny didn’t—” Harry swallowed hard as if the words got caught. Teddy pressed closer as the sadness in Harry’s scent spiked. “Ginny didn’t make it, but James did. He’s healthy, but I can’t explain right now.” Harry stood, keeping Teddy in his arms like he was a baby despite him being five. “I need to take Teddy to meet James before they move Ginny. It’s important. Fleur or Bill can explain.”

 

With those words, Harry carried him down the hall to a room that smelled even worse than the waiting room. Teddy didn’t see any blood though. The room was clean, even the bed that held Ginny looking like she could just be asleep. In a bassinet near her head was a baby wrapped in the yellow and black blanket Teddy had been sleeping with so that James would have his scent and wouldn’t be lonely. Harry put Teddy on the bed near the bassinet. After a cautious glance at Ginny to confirm what Harry had said, Teddy focused on the baby.

 

“Lord Potter, this is highly irregular,” grumbled a healer that Teddy hadn’t noticed by the door. He didn’t bother looking at her now, because Harry would take care of everything. That’s what Harry did and why he was awesome. “You need to let us finish—”

 

“Undersecretary Granger already explained Title II, Section 5 of the _Parahuman Act of 1999_ to you, Healer Faible, so I’m just going to remind you that my godson has inherited lycanthropy traits before you make a complete arse of yourself. You can thank me later.”

 

Teddy ignored the grownups who continued to argue. The healer would accept that Harry knew everything about everything eventually and right now, the baby was more interesting. Teddy leaned over the bassinet carefully as he tried to get close enough to really smell him. His smell was _wrong_ in a vaguely threatening way. Teddy whined as he pulled away only to bump into Harry.

 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Harry soothed as he held Teddy.  He whined again as his wolf urged him to escape and take Harry with him. “I know James smells a little strange, doesn’t he? Do you understand why?” Teddy stilled, pressing hard against Harry. Harry meant safety. “It’s how he was born, which I know you won’t really understand right now, but I promise that James is safe to be around and I know a trick to help your wolf accept that.”

 

Harry guided him through the motions of scenting Ginny one last time, which made him realize what the strangeness in James’ smell was. Soon Harry had him and James in a big chair tucked into the corner of the room as the healer took Ginny away. James still smelled strange, but Harry was right about his furry part understanding that James was safe like Harry. Teddy pressed his nose to his new brother’s cheek, memorizing his scent like all the others of their family.

 

James was _his_ , just like Harry was, and Teddy didn’t care if he was little, he was going to protect them just like Ginny would if she was here. Deep within, his wolf growled in agreement as James wrapped his fingers around one of Teddy’s. Teddy grinned down at _his_ brother.

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note with Competition Data:  
> House: Hufflepuff  
> Category: Drabble  
> Prompt(s): Teddy Lupin & James Potter  
> Word Count(s): 891 (Story); 903 (Story & Epigraph)


End file.
